This excerpt is taken from the book of Fazilat-ul-Sheikh Abdul Salam Rustami From Denial of Hadith to Denial of Quran.
Hadith 20: The Sun Prostrating Under the Throne
Reference: Maqam al-Hadith, p. 228
Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that at the time of sunset, I was with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the mosque when he said: "Abu Dharr! Do you know where the sun goes?" I replied: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said:
فإنها تذهب حتى تسجد تحت العرش فتستأذن فيؤذن لها ويوشك أن تسجد فلا يقبل منها وتستأذن فلا يؤذن لها يقال لها ارجعي من حيث جئت فتطلع من مغربها فذلك قوله تعالى
"It goes and prostrates beneath the Throne, then it asks for permission to rise, and permission is granted to it. It is close to prostrating and not having it accepted, and it asks for permission and is not granted, and it is told to return from where it came, so it will rise from the west." This is the meaning of the noble verse وَالشَّمْسُ تَجْرِي لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَّهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ
Reference: (36-Ya-Sin:38)
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Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Beginning of Creation, Chapter on the Description of the Sun and Moon, Hadith: 3199
Those who reject hadith are very interested in this narration. In their view, this hadith contradicts the modern scientific theory. According to modern scientific theory, the sun remains fixed in its place and does not have the attribute of rising and setting; rather, the earth revolves around it. Similarly, in this hadith, along with the movement of the sun, its resting under the Throne is also mentioned, which are contradictory attributes. It is not established that the sun at any time stops moving at a particular place.
Answer:
The rising and setting of the sun is established from the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty has said:
فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْتِي بِالشَّمْسِ مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ فَأْتِ بِهَا مِنَ الْمَغْرِبِ فَبُهِتَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ
"Indeed, Allah causes the sun to rise from the east; so you see it setting in the west. So, it is a matter that the disbeliever is left speechless over."
Reference: (2-Al-Baqarah:258)
He also said:
حَتَّىٰ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَغْرُبُ فِي عَيْنٍ حَمِئَةٍ
"Until, when he reached the setting place of the sun, he found it setting in a spring of murky water."
Reference: (18-Al-Kahf:86)
Thus, in the Holy Quran, the words east and west, easterners and westerners, and the east and the west are also clear evidence that the sun rises and sets. This rising and setting has been described as attributes of the sun by Allah Almighty, therefore we are not ready to accept any scientific theory that contradicts the Holy Quran because scientific theories keep changing. So far, four theories regarding the movement of the sun and the earth have changed. Sometimes the earth is stationary and the sun moves, and sometimes the opposite. Regarding the sun, in the hadith where this attribute is mentioned that where it is going and that it goes to prostrate under the Throne, this cannot be denied. Furthermore, the sun’s prostration does not necessarily mean it remains stationary at a particular place. The prostration of different things is according to their own nature, so the sun prostrates in a manner appropriate to its condition. As Allah Almighty has said:
وَالنَّجْمُ وَالشَّجَرُ يَسْجُدَانِ
"And the camels and the trees prostrate."
Reference: (55-Ar-Rahman:6)
He also said:
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ وَالشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ وَالنُّجُومُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَالشَّجَرُ وَالدَّوَابُّ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنَ النَّاسِ
"Do you not see that to Allah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the moving creatures and many of the people?"
Reference: (22-Al-Hajj:18)
In this verse, the prostration of everything is meant according to its status. The prostration of the sun under the Throne does not necessarily mean that it stops anywhere. It moves at all times according to the command of the Lord of the Throne, therefore, considering the hadith, it is correct to say that the resting place mentioned in the Quran refers to the sun going to prostrate under the Throne.
